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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · degree · suit · season · leaves · stock · band · rash

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. suit — to fit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — temperature
  7. season — of the year
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stock — shares
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. degree — from a university
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stock — goods
  21. season — in sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com